Part I

Chapter I:

"Can I take a picture of you?"

Jemma raised her head from the table, willing her eyes to stay open on their own. The girl across from her casually resting her chin on the table. The library noticeably quieter than it had been twenty minutes earlier when Jemma had fallen asleep, nose buried in an open copy of Principles of Biochemistry. Jemma Simmons had only been in the United States for two years. Her father's job had forced them to leave the suburbs of London and head to the suburbs of New York City. Jemma wasn't thrilled, but she got by. It wasn't as bad as she had imagined it would be. Unfortunately she hadn't gotten along very well with most of the students in her high school. They looked at her like she was some sort of alien, with her prim collared blouses and button up sweaters and well above average aptitude for science. But the school had a great lab and intelligent teachers. She had wanted to go to university back in England, but her parents had other ideas. She didn't know how she ended up studying biochemistry at a liberal arts college, but it worked. And for a biochemistry course at a liberal arts college it was surprisingly difficult. Jemma wasn't falling behind in her coursework, but it was easy for her to see how other students were. She spent most of her free time in the library. Studying. Every Friday evening, after she had finished her homework for the week, she ended up in the library. Pouring over textbooks from classes she would be taking over the next four years. And sometimes falling asleep on top of them, apparently. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if I could take a picture of you," the girl spoke words like iron. Skye, long brown hair and a blue flannel, had been wandering the State University of New York campus in Purchase looking for subjects for her photography assignment. The semester was only a few weeks underway and she already regretted considering photography as her major. It's not that there wasn't inspiration. There was. Everywhere. And especially in a sudden girl asleep on a biochemistry textbook. But Skye just wasn't as into it as she had been in high school. She considered that maybe it was the teacher. Or maybe the school. "It's for some dumb assignment for my photography class. Something pretentious like capturing human emotion in fleeting moments." Jemma's lips formed a loose smile as Skye explained herself. "You looked nice asleep."

"Then I'm afraid it's too late to take a picture now, isn't it?" Jemma

"I've decided that it's my policy to ask permission before taking photos. It wouldn't be very nice. One day you'll be at an art gallery and see a photo of yourself asleep in a college library and you'll be upset."

"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" The beginning of a yawn almost drowned out Jemma's comment.

"So you will just have to help me find other people to take pictures of." Skye reached across the table and closed the textbook Jemma still hovered over. "Come on, let's go." She stood up and walked toward the front doors, not knowing if the other girl was following.

"I don't even know you," Jemma almost shouted out after the stranger. Her eyes opened wide as she quickly brought a hand up to cover her mouth. She looked around, happy to find no one nearby to be disturbed by her yelling.

Skye turned back to the other girl. "This is college. Isn't that kind of the point?" The tiniest of smirks appeared on her face. She slowly made her way back to the table. "Okay, I'm Skye."

"And my name is Jemma Simmons," she said as she grabbed her phone from the table and stuffed it into her back pocket. Jemma hadn't had time to make friends yet. Of course she had seen plenty of other people eating together at the cafeteria in the mornings and heading off to parties at nights. She had seen people walking to the parking lot and driving off together toward who knows where. There were couples walking around with their hands grasping each other's. People kissing out in the square, going to watch bands play in the Student Center, riding their bikes or rolling through campus on skateboards late at night. She was never one of them. And she did not know if she even wanted to be one of those people. But here was her chance. Her chance to do it. And her chance to find out if she wanted to. She picked up the textbook. "Let me just put this back."

Skye reached over and pulled the textbook out of Jemma's grasp. She placed it on the table before pushing it away. The book slid to the other end of the table and stopped just short of falling off the edge. Without a word she wrapped her fingers around Jemma's left wrist. "Come on, Jemma Simmons."

Skye didn't let go of Jemma's wrist until they were halfway to the Student Center, which Jemma didn't know was Skye's destination. Skye's camera hung over her shoulder, tapping gently into her hip with every step she took. "Where are we going?" Jemma was interrupted by the camera bouncing off of Skye's side a little too hard and hitting into her own. Skye quickly reached down to grab the camera.

"Sorry," she said as she pulled the strap off her arm and moved it to her other side, letting go of Jemma's wrist in the process. The fall weather meant it was cool enough for Jemma to feel a severe difference without the warmth of Skye's hand around her wrist. She pulled her sweater's pushed up sleeve down to cover her wrist, hoping it would help. "There's probably some band playing at the Student Center. Or like, roller disco night." Jemma had never been to the Student Center. She'd walked by a few times, hearing loud music or the hollers of students having fun. She had seen students trickling in and out of the building, letting bits of sound escape with every opening and closing of the door. But she had never gone inside. She had never had a reason to. She had some ideas of what it would be like. She intended to check it out at some point. But "some point" kept getting pushed further and further back. She knew they were getting close when she heard the banging of a drum. The beat sounded a bit off. Jemma didn't know much about music, nor did she have too great a sense of rhythm, but she could tell there was something off. Skye held the door open for Jemma, who walked into the building, only slightly surprised by what she saw. A large dark warehouse type space covered in twinkly fairy lights. Couches and chairs and bookshelves filled with books and magazines and board games. A band that appeared to be setting up. Some girls in the corner, sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing what seemed to be a very competitive game of Jenga. Someone leaning with their head against the wall. A rather attractive black man walking toward her.

"Trip!" Skye intercepted. She gave the guy a light hug before turning to face Jemma. "Trip, this is Simmons. Simmons, Trip." Jemma took immediate note of Skye's use of her last name instead of her first.

Trip clasped a hand onto Jemma's shoulder. "Let me guess. Last name Simmons?"

"First name Jemma," the response more a continuation than an actual answer.

"First name Antoine," Trip mimicked. "I think it's a Skye thing. See, she doesn't have a last name so she has to make up for it by obsessing over everyone else's."

"I have a last name!" Skye interjected. "It's just completely hideous and I refuse to admit that it exists." She addressed Trip. "Would you prefer I call you Antoine?"

Trip laughed. "Hell no. Trip and Simmons will be just fine, I'm sure." He turned to face Jemma, who nodded slightly in agreement.

"So what's going on here tonight?" Skye asked. Her gaze followed the path of Jemma's eyes, perusing every corner of floor, ceiling, and wall, of the Student Center.

"Those juniors from the philosophy department are playing again," Trip sighed with a slow roll of his eyes. Skye stuck her tongue out and made a quiet gagging noise. "But I think there's a party over in the apartments if you're interested." Skye shrugged and nodded toward Jemma. Jemma, who wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. Her eyes and her mind abuzz with lights and sounds she had never experienced. "Hey Simmons, you in?"

"Sorry, what?" Jemma drew back to the company, leaving behind visions of students dancing until two in the morning.

Skye smiled. It was the second occurrence in a short period of time. Jemma apologizing for not hearing something because she was asleep or otherwise involved. She found it amusing. "Trip says there's a party over in the apartments. We should go check it out."

"Aren't you supposed to be taking pictures for your class?" Jemma asked.

"Oh, yeah, damn." Skye pulled her camera up and turned it on. She motioned to Simmons and Trip, telling them to stand closer together. "Smile!" Click. "Now let's go."

Trip led the way out the door. Jemma followed timidly behind him, taking the opportunity to get one more look at the Student Center. A large chalkboard on a wall, and a girl with a denim vest and a pixie hair cut sitting in a chair near the door. Skye trailed behind, camera still held up to her face. She watched as Jemma's eyes landed on the girl at the door. She put her finger on the shutter release.

Click. Click.